Peter Pan has received an “awakened” makeover, with the famous Lost Boys updated to include girls as well.
Disney released a trailer for its latest live-action remake, Peter Pan & Wendy, but there were a few key plot changes from JM Barrie’s original 1904 play.
In one shot, a group of children can be seen gathering while introducing themselves as “lost boys” while a little girl adds “every last of us”.
A surprised Wendy remarks, “But you’re not all boys!” to which one replies ‘So?’
Critics were quick to slam the change, with one Twitter user calling it a “flop,” while another said, “What have they done to my characters?”
The latest Peter Pan remake raised eyebrows when it was revealed that the Lost Boys pictured were updated to include girls too
A little girl is pictured amidst the ‘Lost Boys’ crowd as Wendy remarks, ‘but aren’t you all boys?’
The remake will star Jude Law as Captain Hook and premiere on April 28 on Disney+.
It’s the latest in a long line of creative remakes of the classic story, including a 2020 version titled Wendy.
Opinion poll
Should girls be in Peter Pan’s Lost Boys?
Other iterations include Steven Spielberg’s 1991 epic Hook, a 2003 version called Peter Pan, a 2015 Hugh Jackman-fronted Pan, and a 1953 animated film.
Many of the remakes have received unfavorable reviews.
So far, the Lost Boys consisted of all male characters named: Slightly, Nibs, The Twins, Cubby, and Tootles.
But in 2021, it was announced that the character would be renamed from Cubby to Curly, while new characters will include female Birdie and Bellweather.
JM Barrie explains who the Lost Boys are in his original 1904 play. He writes: It is boys “who fall out of the pram when the nanny looks away, and if they are not picked up for seven days they are sent far away to Neverland.”
But the film’s new adaptations come despite the protagonist explicitly stating the reason there are no “lost girls” — because “girls, you know, are way too smart to fall out of their strollers,” says Peter.
Disney+’s Peter Pan & Wendy follows the timeless story of a young girl who defies her parents’ desire to attend boarding school and instead travels to Neverland with her two brothers.
The latest remake will premiere on April 28 on Disney+ and will star Jude Law as Captain Hook
Critics slammed the upcoming film with one question: “What have they done to my characters?”
In the magical land, she meets Peter Pan – a boy who refuses to grow up, a little fairy named Tinker Bell and the evil Captain Hook.
Twitter reacted with concern to the latest trailer this week.
One viewer wrote: “You’ve done so many Peter remakes, they never end well and add wakeness.
‘Well that’ll make it flop harder than all the others.’
Another said: “Let me guess, Wendy will be the strong female leader and Peter Pan will have a background role.
“Oh, and why does this movie look so gray and miserable? It’s a children’s film.”
A third said: “Are you kidding me? What happened to my boy Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinker Bell? What have they done to my characters?’
It’s not the first time Disney has been accused of pushing a bright agenda in its children’s films.
Last month it came under fire for its new animated series, The Proud Family: Louder and Proud, in which black kids rapped about reparations and claimed “slaves built this country.”
A 2003 version of the novel, directed by PJ Hogan, features a more traditional Lost Boys cast
The animated version of the 1953 classic fairy tale remains one of the most popular to date. Pictured: The Lost Boys
Meanwhile, 22-year-old Halle Bailey received racist backlash from Twitter trolls after she was revealed to be “Ariel” in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
The negative reaction to the film’s official teaser trailer was so severe that YouTube has now disabled the dislike count, but not before it hit 1.5 million.